1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to human psychology and therapeutic devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to therapeutic methods and apparatuses for processing emotions or cognitions relating to an event of substantial significance to a person, including but not limited to the death of another person or animal, the loss of another person, an animal, or an object, or separation from another person, an animal, or an object significant to the person, a relocation, a graduation, adoption, incarceration, retirement, transitioning between employers, caregivers, and the like, etc. (hereinafter collectively referred to as an “emotion triggering event”). Some of the methods and apparatuses allow a person who experiences an emotion triggering event to impart a personalized message to a token, to transfer the token to the other person, animal, or object (hereinafter collectively referred to as the “source” of the emotion triggering event), and to frame a memento relating to the source, thereby assisting the person to let go of and hold on to the source.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
It is well known in the psychological and other emotional and cognitive therapy professions that people often experience a range of emotions and cognitions when emotion triggering events occur in their lives. It is also well known that people often lack self-awareness of the existence or the sources of the emotion triggering events, and that people often need assistance in identifying the existence and the sources of emotions and cognitions relating to the emotion triggering events or their sources, and in processing (including but not limited to reconciling) those emotions and cognitions.
More specifically, it is known that people experience grief, anger, guilt, confusion, anxiety, relief, worry, and other related emotions and various cognitions when another person, an animal, or a thing of significance to them has died, been lost, or has become temporarily or permanently and voluntarily or involuntarily separated (hereinafter collectively referred to as a “separation source” of a “separation event”). For example, Alan D. Wolfeld, Ph.D., A Child's View of Grief: A Guide for Caring Adults (© 1990 published by Service Corporation International), at pages 8-18 discusses twelve dimensions of grief commonly experienced by bereaved children. In some cases, particularly with children and adolescents, the person does not recognize or represses the existence or nature of the emotions or cognitions, their relation either to the separation source or the separation event, or even the existence of a separation source or a separation event.
Throughout history, there has been a recognized need for effective methods of processing emotions or cognitions relating to a separation source, such as William Shakespeare's Macbeth (Act IV, Scene iii): “Give sorrow words; the grief that does not speak Whispers the o'er-fraught heart, and bids it break.” Within these therapeutic professions, it is a known method to direct a person to write down their emotions and cognitions about a separation source. The therapist may direct that the writing be in the form of a message to the separation source. The message need not be a handwritten inscription, but may be or may include a drawing, an analog or digital sound or video recording, a typewritten or computer-generated document, or any other form of fixed expression in a tangible medium. Similarly, the message may be a physical object with symbolic significance either to the person or to the separation source. In some cases, the message is retained by the person or discarded. In other cases the message may be transferred to the separation source or the environment of the separation source. Where the separation source is a deceased person or animal (hereinafter referred to as a “deceased”), the message may be placed with or in the environment of the physical remains of the deceased. The actions of writing the message and of giving it to the separation source promote therapy (understood broadly in the alternative senses of providing, performing, or receiving treatment or rehabilitation for a disease or condition, analysis, healing, remedial training, caring, etc.), including communication and dialogue between the therapist and the person experiencing the separation event. The action of writing and giving the message to the source helps the person to “let go” of the source.
Other methods to assist a person to let go also are known. For example, Peter Homans, Symbolic Loss The Ambiguity of Mourning and Memory at Century's End (© 2000, published by University of Virginia Press), at page 3 (cited here solely for its description of earlier art) discusses generally how mourning assists the process of letting go of a separation source that is a deceased person. Similarly, Ellen Bass and Laura Davis, The Courage to Heal: A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse (© 1988, published by Harper & Row), at page 120 discuss ways to move beyond grief and pain by fully experiencing, honoring, expressing, and assimilating the feelings. Other methods to assist letting go include oral counseling, art therapy, play therapy, music therapy, horticulture therapy, psychodrama, creative writing (of songs, stories, poems, and the like), prayer, meditation, chanting, etc.
It is also common, in response to reading a publication of a therapist or another person or without any direction from a therapist or another person, for a person experiencing a separation event to provide himself or herself with therapy by writing to or about the separation source, or otherwise providing a message to assist letting go. For example, where the separation source is a deceased person or animal, a letter may be written to the deceased or a eulogy or obituary may be written about the deceased. Similarly, it is common for a person to leave at a grave site or bury with a deceased a writing authored by the deceased or another person, flowers, a photograph, objects belonging to or relating to the deceased, and other sentimental or memorial items. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,987,720 to Yamamoto (cited here solely for its description of earlier art) discusses encasing in a tomb memorabilia pertaining to the life history of a deceased and objects and information pertaining to the continuation of life in some form.
These methods and devices for performing these methods are often unsuccessful or ineffective in regard to processing of emotions or cognitions associated with an emotion triggering event. For example, therapists often find that clients, particularly children, for a variety of reasons are resistant to writing or drawing a message to a deceased. Similar resistance is encountered in regard to using existing devices, such as coloring books or workbooks, whether or not specifically designed and designated for these purposes. Lack of perceived value or lack of motivation is encountered when the message is created without an intent for it to be transferred to the source. Clients may view the processes of, for example, writing a message, creating a journal, or leaving at a grave site a message symbolized by a physical object to be disconnected from their emotions or cognitions or to be an additional burden or a source of additional significant emotions or cognitions.
Even when clients are willing to overcome such resistance, they may encounter difficulty identifying the source of an emotion triggering event, the need to let go, or the contents of an appropriate message. Similarly, clients may find it difficult to focus their attention or to limit the message, given the wide range of potential messages that might be included.
Some of these methods fail to reduce client's processing activities to a fixed medium of expression, lack sufficient permanence, and do not endure beyond the immediate physical and temporal context of their creation with the therapist. Conversely, existing devices having greater permanence than the body of a deceased fail to maintain the symbolic connection of the meaning and physical embodiment of the message with the spirit and physical embodiment of the deceased.
Existing devices for assisting clients to write messages to or leave objects with the source (such as a sheet of paper, a workbook, a journal, a photograph, flowers, etc.) and for overcoming such resistance or difficulties (such as a printed paper sheet configured with a display frame to encourage drawing) are not designed or designated for these particular purposes, require significant effort or abstract thought, do not encourage experiential therapies, or otherwise are not well-suited to solve these problems. Similarly, existing devices and commonly stocked products typically are not distributed principally and primarily for these purposes or in association with information relating to these purposes, are not configured in symbolic shapes (such as: a circle, which represents the cycle of life, unity, infinity, perpetuity, wholeness, etc., and which is associated with the earth, the sun, the womb, eggs, eyes, breasts, vessels or containers that may be emptied or filled, safety or security because of their continuous, completed, and uninterrupted nature, etc.; a heart, which represents love, life, health, strength, emotion, etc., and which is associated with positive responses, strong relationships, etc.; and the like), or do not have decorations, including symbols drawn from the culture and associated with emotion triggering events (such as religious symbols—crosses, stars, hands in prayer, candles, etc.—cultural symbols—national flags, American eagles, African Adinkra, Japanese cranes, etc.—love symbols—hearts, flowers, doves, teddy bears, etc.—symbols of eternity—oceans, skies, diamonds, sun/moon pairing, etc.—symbols of an afterlife—butterflies, angels, rainbows, spirals, etc.—and other types of shapes and designs performing such symbolic functions within the relevant culture) (hereinafter collectively referred to in the context of a deceased as “the group of common cultural images associated with bereavement.”). Nor do these devices and commonly stocked products typically comprise features specifically designed to overcome the resistance or difficulties noted above.
It is further known in therapeutic professions to direct a person experiencing an emotion triggering event to identify a memento (also known as a keepsake) that they associate with the source. The therapist may further direct the person to retain or to preserve the memento, for example by placing it in an enclosure or frame, to display the memento, or otherwise to acknowledge the importance of the memento. The memento helps the person to “hold on” to the source. For example, William C. Kroen, Ph.D., LMHC, Helping Children Cope with the Loss of a Loved One: A Guide for Grownups (© 1996, published by Free Spirit Publishing Inc.), at pages 78-80, describes in regard to a deceased the display of photographs, making of photo albums, visiting of graves, writing of poems, planting of trees, making of charitable donations, remembering of a deceased on holidays, and establishing of commemorative traditions.
More specifically, it is also common for a person experiencing a separation event to identify, preserve, or display a memento associated with the source. For example, a person may keep a memory box, create a home altar, preserve a memorial room, or otherwise store a memento in a holder or location. For another example, a person may create a memory journal, such as the memorial album described in U.S. Pat. No. 839,251 to Albrecht, which is formed to receive a photograph of a deceased and to record facts relating to the deceased. For yet another example, a person may create a memento containing a representation of or specimen from the source. These mementos come in many forms, such as jewelry, imprints, pendants, portraits, photo albums, collages, analog and digital sound or video recordings, or other tangible items.
Further, it is common for a person experiencing a separation event to perform a memorial service or ritual, such as burning a candle in memory of or containing the name of the deceased. For example, Steve Zeitlin and Ilana Harlow, Giving a Voice to Sorrow: Personal Reponses to Death and Mourning (© 2001, published by The Berkeley Publishing Group), at pages 5, 11 (cited here solely for its description of earlier art) discusses three types of narrative responses to grieving: storytelling, rituals of remembrance, and commemorative art, the first and last of which may themselves become rituals. Similarly, David Feinstein and Peg Elliott Mayo, Mortal Acts Eighteen Empowering Rituals for Confronting Death (© 1993, published by HarperCollins), at table of contents and pages 1-17, describes eighteen rituals for addressing a bereavement in regard to a deceased. It is also common for another person (such as a relative, a caregiver, a friend, a co-worker, a neighbor, an acquaintance, or even a therapist) to provide emotional support or guidance by providing the person with writings authored by themselves or others, sympathy cards, flowers, food, comfort products (such as stuffed animals), or other items.
These methods and devices for performing these methods are often unsuccessful or ineffective in regard to processing of emotions or cognitions associated with an emotion triggering event. The methods and devices are not specifically designed and designated for addressing the needs of letting go of and of holding on to a source of an emotion triggering event. They are directed at accomplishing only a single objective or an objective different from the processing of emotions or cognitions, such as expressing emotional support to a person without addressing the person's need to let go of or hold on to the source. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,807,108 to Fisher discloses tags containing an identification message that may be left with a deceased, specifically designed and configured for the objectives of identification or of signaling. For another example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,084 to Best discloses a greeting card configured for affixing a photograph, U.S. Pat. No. 5,318,327 to Daneshvar discloses a romantic greeting card containing a greeting message receiving zone for imparting a message, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,478 to Gaines discloses a greeting card for recording a monetary gift with a detachable receipt. It is apparent that such greeting card inventions are not specifically designed and designated for letting go of and holding on to a separation source, and do not contain features to effectuate those objectives. This is true even if messages or symbols associated with emotion triggering events were included with or imparted to those cards and even if those cards or portions of the cards were transferred to the source, its environment, or a location of significance to the source or to the person in regard to the source (hereinafter collectively referred to as “a significant location relating to the source”).
Limitations similar to those noted above in regard to methods and devices for letting go also apply to methods and devices for holding on. For example, therapists often find that clients, particularly children, for a variety of reasons are resistant to creating a memory journal of a deceased—as when such creation is perceived as a burden or is associated with homework—and similar resistance is encountered in regard to using existing devices—such as albums for displaying and storing photographs—to create a memento of a deceased.
Even when clients are willing to overcome such resistance, they may encounter difficulty identifying the source of an emotion tnggenng event, the need to hold on, or the contents of an appropriate memento. Similarly, clients may find it difficult to focus their attention or to choose a memento, given the wide range of potential mementos that might be selected.
Existing devices for assisting clients to create a memento—such as a sheet of paper, art supplies, photographs, and holders of various sorts—and for overcoming such resistance and difficulties—such as a picture frame or the mourning emblems disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,570,678 to Houser or urns to hold cremation remains—are not specifically designed or designated for these purposes, require significant effort or abstract thought, do not encourage experiential therapies, or otherwise are not well-suited to solve these problems. Similarly, existing devices and commonly stocked products typically are not distributed principally and primarily for these purposes or in association with information relating to these purposes, are not configured in symbolic shapes, or do not have symbols drawn from the culture and associated with emotion triggering events in general and the group of common cultural images associated with bereavement in particular. Nor do these devices and commonly stocked products typically comprise features specifically designed to overcome the resistance or difficulties noted above. Nor do these devices and commonly stocked products typically comprise features specifically designed to form or to strengthen a symbolic connection between combinations of the person, the source, and the device.
Further, if a plurality of these methods or devices for letting go of or for holding on were practiced or used in combination, they would have to be employed seriatim, without any intrinsic connection or without having a potentially extended duration, further impeding the objectives of processing emotions or cognitions by letting go of and holding on to a source in close spatial or temporal proximity. Existing methods and devices also suffer in their effectiveness at accomplishing either of the objectives of letting go of or holding on to a source, because the methods and devices at most are perceived to be designed and designated solely to accomplish one and not both of these objectives. At present, there are no methods or devices specifically designed to effectively accomplish the therapeutic objectives of letting go of and holding on to a source.